


Magic of a Fickle Nature

by Bmxtthxw



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, F/M, Faery Ted, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, will add tags as more is written
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23689498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bmxtthxw/pseuds/Bmxtthxw
Summary: Charlotte is sweet. The forest around Hatchetfield is not sweet but she's managed to convince its protector that she's good without even trying, so it is sweet to her.The forest is not a safe place but it is a safe place for her.
Relationships: Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Magic of a Fickle Nature

Sam always hated when she did this but she couldn’t help it. The poor little dear had been injured, likely by one of the loggers, and she had come across him and she couldn’t help but take him home with her. She had needed to ask her neighbor Ed how one took care of a squirrel but he’d been kind enough to give some advice and didn’t tell Sam about it, so it didn’t really matter to her what he thought. It didn’t take much time before she and Ed had decided that the squirrel was fine to go home.

Charlotte hadn’t noticed the feeling of someone watching her as she set the small thing down just inside the forest. She hadn’t seen that the tree the squirrel had gone up had a ring around it. She hadn’t noticed the being smiling in the shadows. It chose not to come out until after she had gone away.

“So, that’s where you disappeared to?” He said, speaking to the squirrel that now sat just above him on a branch. “You had us all worried, you jackass. And for what, a pretty girl? You’re not even her type.” There was quiet for a moment as he watched the path she had left. “She’ll be back. Not for you, but she’ll be back.”

He was right, she was back soon enough, far sooner than most people came back. It was likely just because of the squirrel but none of the creatures in the area cared. They all assumed, whether consciously or not, that he would be scaring her off soon enough. He always scared everyone off. It kept his part of the forest safe. But he didn’t this time. Charlotte had proven herself to be at least relatively trustworthy with the things under his protection and that was better than most who came down this way. He just kept a close eye on her, just in case. Never could be too sure with humans.

This time, Charlotte noticed the ring around the tree. She stopped just short of it. The stories might not be told much anymore but she had still heard them and while she didn’t quite believe them, stories had to have come from somewhere. He tried to take a step back, just to stay out of view, just in case. He stepped on a fallen branch instead.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t… think anyone else was out here.” She said, looking up right where he was. “Are you from around here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” Hatchetfield was a small town, the kind where everyone at least knew of everyone, if not knew everyone.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m from around here. Don’t uh… Don’t go into town much.” There was something off about him, something just short of human. There was a strange echo to his words. She almost found it charming. She made sure not to take a step forward.

“May I know your name?” She asked instead, careful with her words.

There was a pause, like he had to consider it or remember it for a moment. “Ted. It’s Ted.” It was clear she knew the rules of the game but Ted still decided to ask the next question. “Can I have yours?”

She smiled. She did know the game and she realized that he knew she did. “You may call me Charlotte.” 

“No second name?” Ted tilted his head. He hadn’t expected to actually get an answer but even he couldn’t do much with a first name.

“I’m afraid not. I’ve only just met you.” She said and Ted realized he didn’t actually know if that was a thing amongst humans. It wouldn’t surprise him, he knew that they had third names that they kept quiet about to avoid letting beings like him have power over them (or at least, they used to), but they hadn’t seemed to care much about the risk of the supernatural these days. She certainly didn’t.

“Next time then.”

“Perhaps.” He couldn’t help the slight smile that found itself forming. She was cute. For a human.

“Why are you here?” It wasn’t cruel but it certainly was curious and almost warning.

“Oh, I… I released a squirrel around here, oh this time last week…”

“And you came to visit him?” He laughed, despite knowing exactly where the squirrel in question was (a few branches above his head).

“No.” She said, quick, defensive. As though she had been made fun of for something similar in the past. “I- I… The forest is just lovely. I hadn’t noticed it before, I always came here with Sam, never got to stop and look.” Something about how she said it made Ted think that it might have been Sam that made fun of her.

“Sam?” 

“My husband.” Oh, that made nothing better.

“I haven’t seen you around here before aside from last time. Definitely not with a guy. Is he the one with the hoodie that looks like he doesn’t know what sleep is?” He had seen that one before, but that one never got close. That one was smart.

“No, no, that’s probably Ed. He’s got a little foster squirrel of his own… Sam doesn’t trust this part of the forest, says that it’s too far… He’s too busy to come explore out here anyway.”

“He’s probably smart to not trust this part. You don’t exactly trust it either.” He said, nodding towards where she stood, still just a step outside the ring. “You never know who you might run into.”

“Like you?” She probably should have been more careful about her manners but rather than getting offended, he just laughed.

“Like me. You might want to leave before something like me gets to you.” She laughed at that, “Or before that Sam guy comes looking.” She went quiet at that before nodding.

“You’re right. It was nice to meet you, Ted. Maybe we’ll see each other again?” 

“Yeah. Maybe. I owe you one after all.” He said rather casually. She looked confused for a moment but Ted had been right, she should get back before Sam got home, she didn’t have the time to be wondering what he meant. She just knew that as casually as he said it, it wasn’t a casual thing. Instead she just waved goodbye and started to head out.

She could’ve sworn she heard a quiet “I told you she’d be back, you little shithead.” She couldn’t help a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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